"It's a boy," said Severus. He murmured an endearment as the beaming midwife lifted the squealing newborn long enough to them to see its coat pattern - black with white spots - before handing it to an assistant. "The next one is - "

"A little girl!" exclaimed the midwife. "She's adorable - black and tan with a little white stripe on her nose. So cute!"

"We'll name her Lily," said Remus, knowing by his lover's soft smile that he'd made the right choice. "Are there - Christ, another - "

"Girl," announced Severus. This one was all black except for a spot on her chest. Seconds later, a fourth puppy that could have been a twin to his brother emerged, and then two more almost at the same time, one black and tan, one tan with a black muzzle. "They're perfect, all them."

Remus shifted onto his side as the midwife brought the six squirming pups to the warmth of his body. Fortunately he had sprouted just enough teats for all of -

"Oh my GOD!" Remus sat bolt upright in bed, right hand covering his mouth against the wave of nausea that threatened to send him running for the chamber pot. His other hand went to his midsection. "No! Not the black and tan! He'll never - she'll - "

"Remus! Wake up!" Severus, wild-haired and squinting as the lights automatically came on, grabbed him by the shoulders and shook once, hard. "Are you - "

He gasped and fell forward into his lover's arms. "Bad dream. So - " His breathing slowly stabilized as Severus rubbed his back. "It was awful. Just awful."

"It must have been. My ears are still ringing." Severus spoke without heat. "What was it?"

"I dreamed - " Remus shook his head to clear it. "I dreamed I was pregnant."

"You what?"

"And I was giving birth. You were there, holding my hand and giving me ice chips and - "

"Ice chips? Where were we, Antarctica?"

Despite himself, Remus had to laugh. "Nothing like that. I'm not sure - I think Hermione told me that women in labor aren't allowed to drink, at least in the Muggle world."

"Ice chips. While you were giving birth to puppies." Severus heaved an exaggerated sigh even as he summoned a glass of water. "Not even wolf cubs?"

"Those would have been preferable." Remus drank until the water was gone. "These were domestic puppies, two females and four males. I was getting ready to nurse them and - "

Severus grimaced. "Next you'll tell me you had me sautee the afterbirth with garlic and a little fresh ground pepper."

"No, I woke up. Thank God." Remus flopped back onto the mattress and stared up at the ceiling. "This does not mean I'm having second thoughts, you know."

"It's rather too late for regrets." Severus dimmed the lights and carefully settled onto his left side. "The time for that was approximately six months ago."

Remus drew him close, one hand cupping the warm smooth swell of his lover's abdomen. "I know, and I couldn't be happier. Really." He kissed the messy black hair.

"Good to know, especially since I'm the one who's actually pregnant." Severus shifted until they were snuggled as close as his belly would allow. "With one baby. That is completely human, not black and tan."

"Must have been the Chinese food," murmured Remus. "Why am I the one having the cravings?"

"I'll be sure to look that up after breakfast tomorrow," came the drowsy reply. "Go back to sleep."